Chocolate

BevNET Review

Last Updated: 9/24/2010 10:07 AM

Using a blend of 21 nutrients and featuring 16 g of protein per 8 oz. serving, Bolthouse Farms has done a really nice job of executing their all natural approach to the protein drink category. From a flavor perspective, this product’s viscous body has a fair amount of flavor to it, with the main flavor being chocolate. It’s not overly sweet, giving the product more of a cocoa flavor than something that drinks like chocolate milk. There are some other flavors that hit your tongue, but they are not really distinguishable as anything in particular. This leads us to believe that these flavors are the after effects of the protein and nutrient content that has been used to fortify the mix. If anything, we’d probably enjoy this product a bit more if it weren’t as thick in body. On the nutritional front, the product is loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein (16g per serving), and electrolytes. The protein is derived from both soy and whey protein, which, according to the manufacturer delivers increased performance. Packaging is a large 32 oz. bottle, which they’ve covered with loads of explanatory text about what is inside the bottle. Since it’s a larger format, they have more room to play with, so we think they’ve executed this well. Perhaps our only concern for the product is the use of the Bolthouse Farms brand and trade dress – it seems visually and conceptually at odds with the product’s performance-oriented theme and chocolate flavor (we’re not sure what a farm has to do with either of these). Overall, a strong all natural protein formulation, but the branding seems like it’s potentially off the mark a bit.